 |
| A young Kathleen Ferrier |
In their thirty-seven years of marriage my parents worked very hard bringing up their five daughters, but still managed to find some time for their own interests and hobbies. One interest they shared was their love for the extraordinary voice of another Lancashire woman, who might have celebrated her 100th birthday this weekend, had her life and immensely successful career not been cut tragically short at the early age of 41.
Kathleen Ferrier was born on April 22nd 1912 and grew up in the neighbouring town of Blackburn
For Kathleen Ferrier had been blessed with a truly wonderful contralto voice – rich, deep, resonant without a hint of harshness, and extraordinarily expressive and moving. It shone above all in the repertoire of 18th century opera and oratorio which she made her own, but also in her much-loved recordings of British folk-songs.
Unlike my younger sisters, I’m no expert on the subject of music or singing, but I have always known that Kathleen Ferrier possessed a unique talent, which, almost sixty years after her death, continues to enrich the lives of so many people, including me. I find it sad to think of the recordings she never lived to make, but we must be grateful for the superb legacy she did bequeath to us. I will leave you with two clips, which show to perfection the breadth of her skill and the glory of her voice.
Such a beautiful voice and so many memories. My Mamma was a contralto and sang in a choir which toured Europe. I remember Mamma listening to Ms. Ferrier on the radio...sigh. Smiles - Astrid
ReplyDeleteAstrid, I think she was loved all over the world and these two pieces in particular bring back so many memories for me. As a contralto herself, your mother would have been able to appreciate her artistry very keenly.
DeleteShe did. I can remember our music teacher in school playing her records for us.
ReplyDeleteMolly, I'm guessing that most of us of a certain age were introduced to her voice when we were young. I don't think I've ever heard one to match it.
DeleteFirst of all Perpetua, what a beautiful photograph of a beautiful mother....secondly, I identify with your frustration and emotion around your parents' deaths, some of us are so lucky to have had such wonderful parents to guide and love us.....and thirdly.....yes, yes, yes, Kathleen Ferrier, Blackburn lass that she was...just gorgeous. Thanks for such a lovely post.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Janice, I should have put a caption under the photo to say who it was. Though they were much of an age, the photo is in fact of a young Kathleen Ferrier, not my mother, and she was indeed beautiful. I knew that you would understand only too well the mix of emotions we feel at the death of a parent, especially too soon. We were indeed lucky in our parents and listening to this lovely music brought them very close for a while.
DeleteHow interesting, that I did not recognise the photo as a young Kath....my father would not be impressed ! J.
DeleteLOL, Janice. It was taken when she was just a bonny lass and is so natural and unposed, which is why I chose it.
DeleteHello Perpetua:
ReplyDeleteWe are very conscious as the years go by of the fact that,like you, are parents are no longer with us and, possibly a sign of growing older ourselves, think of them more often now than in the past.
Listening to Kathleen Ferrier is such joy in sadness. Such a wonderful voice, the like of which has possibly never since been heard, and so tragic that she should die at such an early age. We have listened to both pieces with enormous pleasure.
Hello Jane and Lance. You pinpoint very clearly the way our thoughts and feelings about our parents change as we age. I think I'm particularly aware of it this year as on my birthday next week I shall become the same age as my mother was when she died.
DeleteI'm so glad that you enjoyed the pieces so much. She had a once in a lifetime voice, I think, and we are so lucky to be able still to listen to it and rejoice at such beauty and tenderness.
These are so beautiful. I'd never heard of Kathleen Ferrier before, and so thank you for contributing to my education by blog.
ReplyDeleteMy father died young also, barely 72.
Rubye, I'm really pleased to have been the one to introduce you to Kathleen Ferrier's wonderful voice. It is so very expressive and I find it deeply satisfying. One of the many great things about blogging is the sharing of passions and interests like this. And yes, 72 is still too young.
DeleteKathleen Ferrier certainly hits my 'P' spot, Perpetua - her voice is perfection, absolute perfection. There is something very lovely as well in tying her voice to the love you shared with your parents and that they shared with each other. Axxx
ReplyDeleteAnnie, I love that expression you coined and it certainly fits the bill exactly here. For once, perfection isn't an exaggeration when applied to Kathleen Ferrier's voice and it's lovely to see how many still respond so profoundly to her singing.
DeleteI didn't know until recently that her birthday was the day after my mother's, but the coincidence of these three anniversaries on successive days and the rush of memories they evoked in me were things I couldn't let pass unnoticed.
I was 18 when Kathleen Ferrier died and my then boyfriend bought me a record of her singing Che Faro on one side and I think Blow the Wind Southerly on the reverse. It was one of my most treasured possessions and accompanied me into the WRAC at the age of 20.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was stationed at The Royal Military College of Science at Shrivenham I loaned it to a boy doing his National Service in the REME.
He knocked a bottle of paste (he was making posters at the time,) over and it spilled all over the record.
He nearly died of embarrassment and had he survived that I wouldlikely have killed him myself, but he never did manage to clean the paste off and it was unplayable thereafter. I kept it for years even though it was useless and only threw it away when I married. John had the same recording on tape and we wore it out.
A wonderful voice. Like no other.
Oh, Ray, what a touchingly sweet story about your precious and irreplaceable record of what are probably Kathleen Ferrier's best-loved performances. I think I might have been tempted to commit GBH too! I'm so glad for your sake that John had the tape version to share with you. We are so lucky that her recordings keep being reissued as CDs and I'm planning to spend a bit of my birthday Amazon voucher on one.
DeleteWhat a wonderful voice - my education is sadly lacking as, even though I am the right age, I had not heard of Kathleen Ferrier. Thank you for introducing me and for your comment on my blog.
ReplyDeleteSusan, like all fans, I love sharing my interest and I'm so glad you enjoyed her singing. The old recordings don't really do her voice full justice, but her overwhelming talent still shines out after nearly 60 years.
DeleteYour post is very moving. I especially love the aria from Orfeo e Euridyce and this recording certainly loses nothing of its beauty and pathos with age. Kathleen Ferrier was among the greatest of all singers -- certainly that we have been able to hear. I had no idea she was a Lancashire Lass!
ReplyDeleteHow lucky we are to have such wonderful and rich memories of our parents -- these memories are sometimes bittersweet with age and distance but glorious nevertheless.
Thank you, Broad. Indeed she was a Lancashire Lass and though I was only 7 when she died, I grew up knowing about her because of my parents' deep admiration for her. However I only really came to love her voice for myself as an adult and find myself listening more and more to her as I get older.
DeleteYou are so right about how lucky we are to have such good memories of our parents. It will be 30 years this autumn since my mother died, but my memories of them both are still vivid and much treasured. Enjoy the rest of your stay with your own beloved mother, Broad.
Listening to those those two items brought my father back to me, sitting in the dusk listening to music and particularly to Kathleen Ferrier, whose voice he loved.
ReplyDeleteHe was much older than my mother, dying nearly twenty years ago at 93, but I owe him so much for his encouragement and his example - he was a real friend to me.
Music does that, Fly. We're transported back in an instant to some time or experience which is etched into us by memory. I'm so glad these two pieces brought back such good memories of your father and all he did for you and meant to you.
DeleteHe lived to a grand old age and between them he and your mother have certainly given you the genes for longevity.
I'm interested in learning more about Kathleen Ferrier. I don't know if I'm just unfamiliar because I haven't tuned in properly, or if her celebrity was identified with Great Britain and not the United States. This would be a good time for me to appreciate her contribution! You did lose your parents too soon, Perpetua. I can hear that although your parents have been gone a long time now, you do keep them close. I am so glad you shared such a lovely personal story. Debra
ReplyDeleteDebra, you were just a baby when Kathleen Ferrier died and unless your parents knew of her and played her records, there's no real reason why you should have heard of her. But she was certainly famous in the States as well as Europe and made 3 tours there in the last 5 years of her life, including the west coast. I'm glad to have made you aware of her and her contribution to music.
DeleteYes, I've been without my parents for half my life, but still think of them and miss them, especially when there are family happenings they would so much have enjoyed. In fact I'm remembering them more as I get older and close to the ages they were when they died. 66 and 70 are not old!
Big Sis! Please put up a photo of Mummy from the late 30s or 40s, as well. When I was in my late teens I once asked Daddy if Mummy had been really beautiful when he met her, when she was young, and he said "Oh aye; mind you, somebody had told her..."
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite parental anecdotes.
No can do up here, Baby Sis, as all my photos are back at home and the only scanned one from that era on my computer isn't of sufficient quality. I'm planning a future post for which I will scan some at higher resolution, but that will be later in the year.
DeleteI really love the anecdote, which I had never heard, but I can just hear Daddy saying it. :-)
I'll e-mail you a link to my FB album of old family photos. You can use one of those...
DeleteGratefully received and retained for future use.
DeleteLook at the service you provide to your international readers who might not know of this wonderful singer. Thank you from one of them.
ReplyDeleteI consider it a duty, Rosaria. :-) When a voice is as special as Kathleen Ferrier's, it's a pleasure to make it as widely known as possible.
DeleteNow you have brought tears to my eyes, Perpetua. Both in your losses and in the beautiful voice of Kathleen Ferrier. A tragedy that she died so young. All the "what ifs" that come with a young life being snuffed out so soon.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't realized that your dad died so close to your mom's birthday. Ach, dear one, we do share some commonalities in grief, don't we? How wonderful a gift this joy of music and pride in this Lancaishire girl. What lovely gifts to keep of theirs, among many others I am certain.
A little light humor, if I may. I fretted a bit as I approached my 51st year, hoping I'd live longer than my dad. I did. Went to the cemetery and realized I was one year off and I still had one to go!
Penny, I knew you of all people would understand, having lost your own father when you were still so young and your mother too soon also. But the good memories are always there and I find them coming back to me more and more as I reach the age they were when they died.
DeleteAs for the gifts they gave me, where to start counting? Above all, support and encouragement to realise my potential, as well as love for music and reading, crafts and gardening, though sadly not always the talent.
I love the story of your cemetery visit and can well imagine your amusement at your mistake, years ago now, of course.
Thanks for posting the clips, it brought back lovely memories of my childhood. The voice of Kathleen Ferrier was often in our house in the 1950's.
ReplyDeleteSadly my mother died at the age of 74 nine years ago and I still miss her every day. My father listens to the music they enjoyed together every night before he goes to bed, a way of settling himself down - he has never adjusted to the fact that she died first - it was not in their plan.
Glad you enjoyed them, Jean. The memories are inescapable for so many of our generation and take us straight back to childhood.
DeleteI'm so sorry about your mother and feel for your loss and your father's. In my experiences we never stop missing those we love, even if we learn to live with the fact of their absence and as you know, not all of us so. It's the price we pay for loving someone....
Baby Sis & I were reminiscing on these anniversaries yesterday & Friday. You may not realise but DH's mother died the same day in November as ours but 15 years later.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your forthcoming Birthday Perpetua. XXs PolkaDot
Thanks, PolkaDot. I'm sure all 5 of us must have similar thoughts and feelings each year, but I'm particularly aware of them this year with my 66th birthday around the corner. 66 is very definitely too young!
DeleteNow you remind me, I do remember the coincidence that your DH's mother died on the same date as ours.
Hope you both have enjoyed Our Kaff on BBC4 this evening. I watched it ooking out for any reference to my RNCM singing teacher, the soprano Ena Mitchell, as they were friends and colleagues, and there she was, Ena on film! A brief clip filmed in the 1960s by the style of her specs. She taaught me from September 1975 to December 1976, and had a nice crop of colourful Ferrier anecdotes. She lived in Cumbria and stayed two nights a week at the Midland Hotel while she taught at the college.
DeleteAlas, no TV here, so I'll need to catch it on iPlayer if I'm to see it and your singing teacher, Baby Sis. Can you remember the exact title? I've had a look just now and can't find it. It could just be they haven't put it on yet, but a clue to what to look for would be helpful. :-)
DeleteDammit! How frustrating - it is called Kathleen Ferrier; An Ordinary Diva, made in 2003 (fiftieth anniversary of her death) but it isn't available to re-view on iPlayer. This usually means the BBC doesn't hold copyright. Suggest you look for it on YouTube. Someone may have up-loaded it in sections.
DeleteMany thanks for checking. What a nuisance. I'll look on YouTube as you suggest. I found out that the BBC also made a 10-part radio series on her life called "Our Kath", again broadcast to mark the 50th anniversary of her death.
DeleteHello Perpetua - Thank you as always for an interesting post. I'm sure my late mother loved listening to Kathleen Ferrier even though she herself was from the other end of the country being the daughter of a Dorset farmer.
ReplyDeleteI have my mother to thank for my love of classical music and English folk songs but like you, lost her at the far too young an age. She was just 63 when she died during Holy Week, 32 years ago. It was lovely to see my mother in one or two photos my sister June had on display at her own recent Golden Wedding celebration.
Finally for this comment, 'Happy Birthday for tomorrow!' I trust that with the help of DH, you will celebrate it in style.
Thanks, Ricky. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Kathleen Ferrier's appeal was very wide and I don't think her birthplace came into it, except for those of us who could claim her as local and so take special pride in her.
DeleteI'm sorry that you too lost your mother far too soon. So much experience that we can never share with them and so much that we know they would have enjoyed and sadly never lived to see.
Tomorrow will be a quiet evening in, but with a rather nice meal. :-) My treat comes later in the week - more of that anon...
So long as my Boy was up and on his feet...I don't know how long I could make it without Martha. Not only does she mind my physical health but...anyway.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandaddy, despite a sometimes vicious 60 year relationship, made it less than two years after my Grandmaw passed.
Love is the most powerful mystery.
You never said a truer word, EF. I feel very much the same about my DH. I think both of us would survive, in the sense of living on, but with the greater part of ourselves missing. We'll have been married 44 years next Sunday, so are catching up with your grandparents....
DeleteThey had a bit of an unfair advantage in this regard.
DeleteI don't think either one of 'em were legally old enough to get married when they did. I know my Grandmaw wasn't.
Just one of the many...many...sordid details surrounding that relationship. They were a real pair.
And of course...congratulations to you two.
DeleteThanks, EF. I'm sure your grandparents weren't the only ones to break the rules like this. I still remember the scandal when Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13 year-old cousin. If DH and I make it to 82, we will have equalled your grandparents. :-)
DeleteI was thinking of Jerry Lee as I typed.'
DeleteMy maternal grandparents were of exactly the same breed.
We'll keep a sliding scale...reducing a year by half for every one that my Grandmother spent institutionalized or that my Grandaddy spent in Florida because Georgia wasn't big enough for the both of 'em. :)
I don't mean to be flippant but...it's just how life can be.
It certainly is, EF. At least your grandparents stayed married, however fraught their relationship was at times. I'm guessing that underneath it all was a bond that neither could break.
DeleteOr divorce was just too expensive...
DeleteKF was one of the greatest voices of the previous century. My Beloved had the great honour to play in the orchestra at Covent Garden during her last appearance on stage. It was Gluck's Orfeo under Sir John Barbirolli and he remembers that it was a very dramatic show because she had to give up and died soon after.
ReplyDeleteFriko, this personal link via your Beloved is so interesting. I remember reading an account of that last performance, when her femur fractured because of the cancer and she had to be supported by fellow cast members to the end of the performance, yet kept singing. Such courage and fortitude and such a loss.
DeleteSo close to me: in geography, as you know, Perpetua, but also in family memories (a great favourite of both my mum and my uncle). Remembering some rather scratchy recordings from my childhood...
ReplyDeleteOh, and birthday wishes!!
Thanks, CB! Of course your memories will mesh with mine - growing up just over the hill, so to speak. :-) I think a whole generation of adults thought of her as somehow part of the family, or the girl nextdoor, hence the sense of loss when she died so young.
Delete